Social Psychology: OBEDIENCE Learning table 4
DETAILS OF ALTERNATIVE THEORY: Theory of dispositional factors
Another theory for explaining obedience suggests that situational factors are irrelevant and that obedience and defiance is dependent upon dispositional
factors. These are factors about a person themselves, their personality traits. This means that even if there was an opportunity to be disobedient, it would
go against their nature.
Authoritarian personality – (Adorno et al 1950)
Someone with an authoritarian personality is more likely to be obedient, and also to be bigoted and prejudice.
Adorno et al (1950) designed the ‘F Scale’ which was used to measure an authoritarian personality. Responses to this scale showed that characteristics
typical of an authoritarian personality included someone…
 who feels an active dislike for people from a lower social class
 with fixed and conventional ideas of right and wrong, good and evil
 who cannot deal with any ambiguity or uncertainty about the right way to behave
 who is always willing to be ‘bossed’ by those of a higher status than themselves.
Causes of Authoritarian Personality
Adorno claimed that this authoritarian personality was due to childhood experiences. If a child had learnt to fear and obey authority due to dominating,
strict parents the child may come to hate their parents. Adorno suggested that this hate is repressed by the child until later life when the it is displayed
towards a minority group whom the person sees as deviant and bad, and therefore in need of punishment.